Rebuilding a White Picket Fence
by TheWritersAnnux
Summary: Sequel to "And a White Picket Fence." Now that Alfred has his daughter back, confused and stressed doesn't even begin to cover his emotions regarding his ex-enemy - and ex-love. Will they be able to rebuild their relationship from negative 100%? Or is it time to say goodbye for good?
1. Confessions of a Supervillain

Well, here was the bottom of his thirty-second tub of ice cream.

Life was oh so fulfilling like that sometimes, wasn't it?

One minute, everything seems sound, and then news is dropped on you like a fucking bombshell and you realize the past few months were pretty much a lie, your child had been stolen from you, you were given false memories, and the man you had fallen head over heels with was a huge liar and you almost broke his face in but flew off like a little bitch.

Oh, yes, life was the_ best_ right now, weeks after that bunch of crap had happened. "That bunch of crap" including his child being taken by the evil, douchebag of a villain, Professor Dreamweaver, and him not even remembering it. How could he not remember his child being taken, you may ask? Well, you see, this particular villain's power had to do with the mind. He could make people see anything that he desires, which can range from wonderful, happy things to deranged, horrifying things. It's a great distraction, sadly, and it usually allows him to get away with a lot. And _apparently_ that power _also_ includes being able to take away every loving memory a father has for his daughter!

And then not admit the truth for several months…  
To which the two then started_ dating _and Alfred had actually _proposed!_

To say Alfred was mad would be a complete and utter understatement. What made it worse was that he was "The Hero" of Metroville, and he had been powerless against it all. He had been powerless in his _own life_.

Sighing, the now pathologically depressed American ran a hand through his five o'clock shadow, his other hand dropping a spoon into the ice cream and fumbling around for the remote. Shitty TV; nothing decent on it all week -

"We interrupt this program to bring you a shocking interview!" the suited character on the TV announced, sounding much too urgent for a dumb interview. "Everyone's been talking about how quiet it's been with the supers seemingly gone for good in our precious city, but no more, folks! We have with us today _Professor Dreamweaver!_ The villain that has been missing for months!"

Eyes widening, anger boiling, Alfred could feel his laser vision instinctively charging up to shoot the bastard right in the face. Bastard. Bastard of all bastards. Just what importance did this bastard bastardly have to say?

Bastard.

"It's a special case we have here, folks," the TV announcer continued on, _smiling_ now. How anyone could _smile_ at that man he had no idea. "The local villain has agreed to go directly to jail to spend the rest of his life there as long as we give him this one-hour interview and broadcast it live! He says he has a story to tell, and here he is now!" The camera shot switched to a close-up of Professor Dreamweaver's head. He had that stupid mask on, the one that covered everything except his eyes and mouth, though the rest of his costume was missing. Instead of his colorful costume, he wore simple khakis and a white, button-up shirt. But the most noticeable thing about him was how thin he looked - it was as if he had turned anorexic since the last time he saw him. His face was thin and gaunt, the mask looking much too big for his head now, and when the camera zoomed out he looked like a toothpick sitting in that red chair. And that nervous smile he wore as he sat there, staring at the camera…

To Alfred, it felt as though he was staring straight at him, as if caught in deadlights.

Alfred's own deadlights.

"Hello, everyone," he greeted, his voice surprisingly strong and steady. "I'm glad to be here. I should have done this a long time ago…"

"Tell us, Professor," the interviewer said, sitting across from him and looking very interested. "Why are you here today?"

"Oh, well…" Arthur took a deep breath and let it out slowly, staring down at the floor as he admitted, "... I wanted to apologize. For everything. And clear up some misconceptions that I heard going around about me..." He looked up, frowning and his eyes still managing to retain some fierceness. "For starters, I am _not_ a child molester. Damn it - the very thought makes me want to throw up."

Alfred felt himself roll his eyes as he hunched down. Yeah right - why else had he stolen his daughter?!

"Then why do you target children, Professor?" the interviewer asked, as if he was talking to the author of some book. "Why try to take orphans?"

Arthur smiled lightly and shook his head. "You're not going to believe it - no one is, I'm sure - but I've just always wanted to be a father. I thought I would be one, too, when I had a wife -"

"You used to have a wife?" The interviewer seemed genuinely surprised.

Arthur just chuckled and nodded. "I know, it seems an odd concept, doesn't it? But anyway, I - oh, let me start from the beginning." He sighed and cleared his throat, the only sign that gave away how nervous he must feel. "Ever since I was a young lad I've loved children. I would always volunteer at the local daycare, and enjoyed reading to them, giving them piggyback rides - I didn't even mind when they pulled on my hair." He smiled nostalgically and looked up a little, as if there was a little screen he was watching. "I knew from the start that I wanted to be a father - if I was nothing else except that… I would be happy."

Silence went on the air for a few seconds before the interviewer asked quietly, "And what happened? What stopped you?"

Arthur's happy smile fell quickly into a frown, and he looked back at the man across from him. "... As I mentioned before," he sounded as if he was talking about a murder, "I had a wife once… She wanted children as much as I did, so naturally once we were married we tried as often as we could. But after months and months of, well, _trying_, and seeing no results… we went to see a doctor. To find out what was wrong, you know?"

"Yes, that's the logical thing to do," the interviewer nodded in agreement.

"We thought so, too." Arthur sighed, looking down at the floor and starting to wring his hands, his next words coming with much more difficulty than before. "So, we saw the doctor, and… my wife was fine - "fertile as a farm," he said… Me, on the other hand…" He smiled sadly. "... He told me that something was wrong with my… reproductive tract, and that… I would never be able to have children…"

Collective gasps went throughout the audience, and it was probably that which made Arthur tear up more than his confession.

"Imagine that, right?" Arthur asked, sniffling slightly and wiping at his eyes. "The thing I wanted most of all, and here I'm finding out it's impossible for me."

"... So you decided to steal orphans?" the interviewer asked, frowning sympathetically.

Arthur laughed and shook his head. "No, no - not _yet_, anyways… First, I had to tell my wife the news, and suggested adoption as an option - after all, I just loved _children_. They didn't _have_ to be my own! … Only," Arthur swallowed, slumping down ever so slightly in his chair. "She didn't feel that way… She divorced me."

Alfred felt his mouth twitch, and his slightly damp eyes blink. While he had been mindlessly glued to the telly, hearing something personal that Arthur had told him managed to make him snap out of it a little and shiver. Taking in a deep breath, he tried to ignore any sympathy he was feeling once more. He wanted Arthur to suffer still...

"To be honest," Arthur continued on that plasma screen, "that whole exchange… it made me feel rather worthless." He swallowed and looked up at the interviewer. "It made me think, "What good am I, if I can't have children? What's my purpose?" And… well," he smiled sadly again. "I suppose that's why I had never really… _looked_ for love after that. Because I thought no one could love someone who can't even do something that's inherent in nature - reproduce. So, I turned to single-parenting, and went to an orphanage to see if I couldn't adopt."

Feeling a twinge of hollowness, Alfred had to look away for a moment and wipe his eyes discreetly. N-no… He wasn't going to feel this way! Not at all!

"I'm guessing the agency didn't let you?" the interviewer guessed, giving Arthur a small smile.

"You're right," Arthur told him, nodding and taking a deep breath. "They told me that since I was a single male, without even a girlfriend, that I was most likely not going to be able to adopt. And, I guess… being told that…" He laughed softly and looked away. "... I snapped. I decided that if the bloody system wasn't going to let me have the child I've always wanted, that I'd just take one for myself. So, that night, I put on a ski mask and went to the orphanage to convince a child to come live with me." He smiled and lifted his hands, a bright, clear picture emanating from his fingertips, showing a picture of "Professor Dreamweaver" smiling lovingly and holding a child in his arms. "I would show them things like this, inside their head," he explained quietly. "I would show them what I wanted to do - give them a loving home, where I would care for them… That's why some of them got upset when I was stopped, because _they_ weren't getting something they've been yearning for, either - a loving home, a loving parent… Simply someone who cared."

Tears were budding up more in Alfred's eyes, causing him to swear loudly. No! He couldn't sympathize with this evil, heinous liar! He couldn't! He just couldn't -!

"That sounds awful, Professor," the interviewer told him, sounding completely honest as he frowned. "So, to you, The Hero wasn't a hero at all."

Arthur smiled, though it looked a bit ironic to Alfred. "No, no, he really wasn't," he admitted, chuckling soon afterward. "That is, until later… but I'm getting ahead of myself." He took a deep breath before continuing his story. "After months of trying and failing to… well, "steal" a child, and being stopped by The Hero, well… I'd had enough." He shook his head. "I felt so much hatred for this superhero that everyone loved that I decided I'd take revenge on him by doing something that I regret to the very bottom of my heart to this day. I took his child from him."

The audience gasped again, the camera switching to a shot of the people looking amongst themselves with shocked faces and hushed whispers. While Alfred felt himself start to blubber and wail with sobs once more.

"And… you succeeded?" the interviewer seemed shocked by that more than anything.

"... Yes," Arthur said quietly, swallowing and taking a deep breath. "You see, I… Along with his daughter, I took his memories of her, too." He chewed at his lip. "I took every memory of her ever belonging to The Hero, allowing her to fully become my child, once I acquired some fake IDs."

"How did you find out where he lived?" the interviewer asked.

Arthur chuckled and gave a little grin. "You mean, how did I figure out what his actual name was? Oh, that was the easy part. It's so bloody obvious - I'm surprised no one else knows who The Hero is yet."

And if Alfred wasn't sobbing, he would have glared at the screen for that.

"Anyway," Arthur continued, chewing at his lip again. "After I had her, and taken the memories away, I had fully intended to never interact with The Hero again… But, well…" He smiled, a mix of sad and happy all at once. "... That didn't happen…" He sighed and looked down. "I kept bumping into him in town - after all, he knew my citizen counterpart, whom we'll call George, for now. He's such a polite man, so of course he had to say "Hi," to me, and I didn't want to act suspicious so I indulged in the conversation. Though…" Arthur hesitated and looked into the camera. "I think part of the reason I kept agreeing to see him, and even called him out when I saw him in the street sometimes, was because I felt guilty… And wanted to make sure he was all right, without the memories of his daughter."

At that Alfred felt his tears start to die down as he began to gaze back up at the screen. That's why Arthur kept… Bumping into him? After winning? After taking his daughter?  
Could that really be true, or just another lie?

"But, after awhile…" Arthur laughed softly and reached a hand up to scratch the back of his head. "... I guess he had taken a fancy to George, because he asked him out on a proper date."

The audience gasped once more, and the interviewer quickly asked, "Did you agree?!"

"... Yes…"

And at that, Alfred couldn't help but chuck an empty carton of ice cream at the TV in his anger. Stupid bastard - taking advantage of his naivety!

"Why did you agree, Professor?" the interviewer asked, clearly in shock. "You had said you planned on never interacting with him again."

"I know, and I really did plan on that…" Arthur swallowed again, shifting in his seat as he tried to find the words. "... To this day, I don't really know why I agreed… Part of me says it was just to humor him - one date and then it would give me an excuse to never see him again. I could say it had gone horribly and go on my merry way, right? After all, rarely anyone remains friends with their exes. But…" Arthur's eyes zoned out for a few seconds, and he actually _smiled_ for this next part. "... That date had gone so awfully wonderful, that… I agreed to a second one. And a third, and a fourth, and countless others…" He laughed at himself, holding a hand up to hide his smile like he so often did. "And I loved each and every one of them… The Hero really is a sweetheart, you know - he makes you feel as if you're the most special person in the world."

Another carton was aimed at the screen, yet Alfred didn't throw it as he felt something inside him, something hard and rock solid, slowly starting to crumble.

Though he didn't know what.

"... Do you love him?" the interviewer asked softly, as if trying to wrap his own head around it.

"..." It took a few seconds for Arthur to answer, and when he did, he looked straight at the camera again - making Alfred feel as if he was talking directly to him. "... Yes. I'm in love with that man."

Which made everything crumble in return, leaving a man in dire need of a shave in the dust and debris.

"I imagine those feelings made it hard for you," the interviewer assumed. "What with you having taken his child."

"Oh, you have no idea…" Arthur sighed, an utterly pathetic sound this time as he stared at the floor again. "Even when we had just _started_ dating I would be so overcome by my guilt that I would fall asleep crying, some nights… others, my powers had a field day tormenting me. After all, The Hero hated my villain self - he had told me that he felt Professor Dreamweaver should be executed, and he had such hate shining in his eyes as he said it… that I, I…" He swallowed. "I couldn't help but imagine his kind, loving eyes quickly turning to vile hatred when he looked at me… and I couldn't stand the thought of that. So, I thought the best thing would be to just keep it all a secret. I had the child I'd so desperately wanted since youth, after all, so I should have been happy! And I was!" Arthur looked back up at the interviewer to smile. "Don't get me wrong, the time I spent with that little girl, the times I read to her, fed her, taught her, held her… They were, undoubtedly, the happiest moments of my life. In my messed up mind, I felt that any possible guilt I felt was worth it for this darling little girl, and yet…"

"A-and yet?" Alfred felt himself croak as he now clinged to the sides of the television and stared into it with wide, bloodshot eyes. He had to know what Arthur was going to confess this time!

"... I knew I couldn't keep up the charade when The Hero did something so utterly frustrating that I still can't believe it." Arthur took a deep breath and let it out with a laugh, shaking his head again. "That _idiot_ actually _proposed_ to _me_, "George," can you believe that? Because I sure as hell cannot."

The audience didn't seem to believe it either, as they shared more hushed whispers.

Alfred felt as though his already "exposed" heart was being shot through again as he heard Arthur say that, and had to turn away to rub his eyes. Not again… He didn't want to hear about his screw up again…!

"It was completely unfair," Arthur complained, shaking his head slowly and smiling a small, incredulous smile. "Because I wanted to jump into his arms and scream "yes" a million times over… but I couldn't." He stopped moving altogether to take another deep breath, looking up at the interviewer. "How could I marry someone whom I had stolen something so precious from? It just… it didn't feel right. I had already felt so guilty with us just _dating_, I probably would have died from a heart attack if I had to lay next to him in bed every night and think, "Here's the man I love, and whom I hurt… so deeply. Sleeping calmly next to me, loving me..."" Arthur started to tear up again, though he didn't wipe them away. "... When I really, truly don't deserve it."

Realization was settling in now, causing Alfred to stand up. He knew he couldn't be sure if Arthur was telling the truth. He knew he couldn't be sure if this was all really happening either - if this was all an illusion or not. And, Hell, Arthur really could be telling the truth…. But despite all those odds -

Did Alfred forgive him?

He wasn't sure if he did or not.

"... What did you do then, Professor?" the interviewer asked, sitting forward in his seat and fixing his eyes solely on the villain.

Arthur stared at him for a few, long moments, before saying as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "I showed him the truth." He turned his head and stared off into space. "I gave him his memories back, fully expecting to die once I did…" He frowned, looking almost confused. "... But he didn't kill me. To this day I don't know why - maybe he truly is just such a good hero that he couldn't even _really _think about killing me, even if I so greatly deserved it."

Alfred knew he couldn't stand this anymore. He had to talk to Arthur right _now._ That was his only choice, no matter what, he just had to talk to him maybe one last time.

They had unfinished business to take care of.

As he left to go do just that, however, the TV in his room still played the broadcast.

"And, well, that's the whole story I suppose," Arthur wrapped up, shrugging and leaning back in his chair. "I'm here, I haven't seen him since I told him the truth, and I just wanted to publicly apologize for everything… Well, actually." He stood up, staring at the people in the audience almost defiantly. "... I have one more thing I'd like to do. I don't deserve the privilege of hiding behind a mask anymore." He could hear the audience talking amongst themselves, wondering if he was going to do what they were all thinking. "... From now on," Arthur started to say, holding his hands up to his mask, fully prepared to take it off. "You can all call me by one name, and… and that name is -"

To which he was promptly swooped up in a blur and flown out of the room before he could reveal anything further to the public.

* * *

**Author's notes, TheGuardianKnux**: DUN DUN DUN DRAMATIC STARTING CHAPTER~

**AN, Annzy**: Well, the prequel kind of set us up for that… XD

**AN, Knux**: -3- I knoooow~

**Annzy**: XD Anyway! I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! This one's a bit different from the previous story if you couldn't already tell ;) More twists, turns, and other stuff!

**Knux**: And we hope you like them so keep reviewing and commenting or whatever. XD

**Annzy**: Your feedback is important to us! ^^


	2. Drama Bomb

To be honest, the first thing that ran through Arthur's head when he had been flown off with like that was the idea that he had finally been killed. After a few moments of feeling the wind whipping through his hair, however, he had to wonder if this was his imagination run wild again - it had been doing that to him a lot, lately, either for very vivid guilt trips or to throw in his face what he lost.

But it wasn't an illusion. He was in those familiar strong arms that had rescued him and held him so many times previously. He was pushed up against that buff chest that he could remember stroking up and down and leaving trails of kisses on. He knew he had been saved by the one person he never expected to save him again:

Alfred. Alfred had saved him, yet again.

… So why did that fact make him tear up and feel as if he was suffocating? He felt weaker than ever when Alfred finally found a place to land and set them down. He couldn't look at him, his arms staying rigid at his sides and his posture completely straight. He didn't know what to say - he hadn't planned on seeing him. He had just wanted to take responsibility… That was it. Nothing more, nothing less.

"... Hello again," he spoke, clenching his jaw and looking up at Alfred, trying to look completely passive - and succeeding. "I'm guessing you saw everything?"

"Of course I saw everything, you _idiot,_" Alfred replied, trying to sound passive as well, but instead he sounded as though he were spitting out each syllable with a purpose as he spoke, "I can't believe you thought this was a good idea!"

Arthur frowned and had enough gall left to put his hands on his hips and argue, "It _was_ a good idea! It's time I owned up to the villain that everyone says I am!"

"You're barely even a villain!" Alfred argued back, clenching his fists as his eyes glowed lightly. "Why can't you just pack your bags and leave or just fucking _go home_?!"

"_Because I tried that already!_" Arthur yelled, clenching his fists. "Damn it, Alfred - I tried that! I tried to forget, I tried to go on, but I _couldn't_, okay?! Every night I couldn't sleep because I kept imagining _this!_" He threw his hands up, a violent, angry picture erupting from them, framed with spiky, red knives. Alfred breaking in and killing him - a close up of his eyes, shining with such vibrant hatred that it even made Alfred feel a bit sick inside. Those eyes quickly gave way to a crying Françoise, the wails piercing his ears and making his knees wobble. "_Why did you take me away from my Papa?!_"

Alfred felt a bile start to rise up in his throat as those vibrant images became ingrained in his vision. It made him feel horrified and sick to his stomach! How could Arthur think he wanted to kill him that-that sinisterly!? He-he wasn't a murderer! He would never murder someone over this horrible, stupid fight!

Swallowing down his bile, he whimpered lowly in the back of his throat and asked Arthur quietly, "How can you think I would _murder _you?"

Arthur took the picture back, his hands clenching up again as he stared straight into his eyes, concealing his emotions again. "Because when we first met, you said you wanted me executed!" he reminded him, so sure of himself.

Which made Alfred start to tear up and squeeze his eyes shut, clenching his fists at the same time and turning his knuckles white. "Y-you're a liar -!"

"You can't tell me you don't remember!?"

"Just shut up!" Alfred demanded, tears now streaming down his cheeks.

Arthur laughed, a frustrated sound devoid of any joy as he struck up another image - a memory, this time. It was Alfred, looking as angry as he had looked in the previous one, spouting hating words: _"I say that he needs not only locked up," he then cried out vengefully, "__**But executed!**__"_

"_SHUT UP!_" A feral scream resounded, and blasts of energy hit two nearby trees after being shot out from his hands, "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!"

"_Why won't you turn those blasts on me!_" Arthur yelled, grabbing one of his hands and pointing it right at his chest. "Why won't you do what you claimed…! _Anything's better than seeing __**that **__every night!_"

Arthur bit his tongue after admitting that. Truth be told, he was ashamed to admit that - admit how he'd rather die than think about how hated he was, but after months of dreaming that same thing, the deaths getting more violent and the hatred more real and sinister… He'd be lying if it hadn't affected his sanity. He was sure seeing him again would make the nightmares worse.

Arthur felt Alfred yank his hand out of his grasp, now backing away like a frightened, nervous animal. He seemed so wild… S-so uncanny!

Everything seemed to calm down after that. Arthur could feel his anger leaving him, dissipating into the air like one of his illusions. No… he didn't want this. He wanted to _apologize_, to make sure _Alfred_ could move on… he shouldn't even be caring about himself at all - he had ruined this man's life, so he had to fix it.

"... Alfred," Arthur spoke his name quietly. "... If you want, I could take away all your memories of me…"

Alfred didn't even take time to consider his offer as he barked instead, "J-just go! Leave me alone! I don't want you touching me ever again, do you hear me!?" He started to turn around and fly off. "Just _go!_"

Arthur watched him fly off, once more, his fists clenching again. Wasn't he listening at all? He couldn't just _go_.

He screamed in frustration and held his hands up to his head, though once he did, The Hero came back, shooting him right in the chest with one of his lazer beams. Arthur cried out, the pain erupting through him as he started to explode from the inside out - his blood rushed to the edges of his skin and then burst through, as if he were a pimple on the world that was being painfully popped.

He opened his eyes. He was on the cold, hard ground of the city, the only sound to hear being his ragged breath.

_Shit. I knew they'd get worse_.

Looks like he couldn't touch his head anymore…

* * *

**AN, Knux: Sorry updates are taking forever- I'm involved in lots of extracurriculars and this story hasn't fully been written yet, so things are taking time. But school is almost done for me so we'll try to finish the first writing process during the beginning of our summer vacation. ^^**

**AN, Annzy: Yeah - we want this story to be the best it can possibly be ^^ Which means we might re-read it a few times and change some things - but probably not these two chapters. Bear with us as we try to figure it all out! **

**AN, Knux: But otherwise, keep PMing, reviewing or whatever, and as an added bonus, *WHISPERS LOUDLY* I'M GOING TO MAYBE CONVINCE ANNZY TO HAVE US TURN OUR CURRENT RP INTO A STORY- **

**AN, Annzy: Oh wow XD DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING. I'd be fine with that :P Though I should probably watch Beauty and the Beast again XD**

**AN, Knux: WATCH IT WATCH IT WATCH IT. XD Anyways, IGNORE US! XD AND WAIT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER BYE.**


	3. Swing Sweet Memories

"Catch me if you can!"

Little kids ran around in gleeful laughter as they played their game of tag, occasionally shouting and accusing each other of unfair play.

"I got you!"

"You just touched my shirt!"

"I touched your arm!"

"No you didn't!"

"Yes I did!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

It made Arthur smile, as he watched on. The park was always a safe haven for children; the sand softening any falls, the equipment bright, new, and all freshly painted. There was even nice padding underneath and around each swing, slide, merry-go-round, and such. It was the best place for children to have a good time with others their age, and it was where he had planned on taking Françoise when she had been old enough to handle the roughhousing of the gradeschoolers.

… Emphasis on "planned."

And, now he couldn't, for very obvious reasons. For one, he had given Françoise back to her rightful Father figure who she was actually biologically related to, and two…. Well, number one was really all the reasons why all the plans he had for her were now non-existent/impossible.

… But, if there was a number two, it would be that he would never be able to be a part of her life ever again, even as just an unrelated uncle.

Arthur took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. He leaned his head back against the tree he was sitting against, since he knew he couldn't be seen on the park grounds. That would just look odd, so instead he was disguising himself here, behind the brush of nature.

He just… had to hear laughter again. True, honest, cheerful laughter. The most pure kind of laughter - children's laughter. Because as long as children still laughed and played and talked and ran, then everything would be all right.

He closed his eyes, allowing himself the small fantasy of imagining Françoise was still his, and laying in his arms… smiling, laughing, telling him to read her a story… He could feel her soft cheeks as he kissed them, hear her tinkling laughter mingling with the others, see… see _her_, looking so beautiful and wonderful and magnificent -

He turned the illusion off by opening his eyes, which were quickly filling up with tears. It hurt, coming back to the cold clutches of reality and finding only yourself…

Arthur's body forced him to gasp in a large breath of air, since he wasn't getting enough himself. He yawned shortly afterwards, his eyelids feeling much heavier than before. Maybe… if he napped here, close enough to hear the children laughing… he could get a peaceful night's rest.

* * *

When Arthur opened his eyes next, he saw that the moon was glowing brightly in the clear, dark sky.

He smiled a little, sitting up and immediately groaning from the aches in his neck and back. He started to stretch as he continued to stare up at the moon and the stars. They were still as beautiful as he remembered… They went on despite this tummulting world, shining proudly every night without fail…

So why couldn't he move on? Alfred had practically admitted that he didn't want to kill him. That meant he forgave him, right?

Right?

Well… He supposed Alfred never really _said _the words, "I forgive you," to him, so, then again…

Arthur sighed, shaking his head as he stood up, walking over to the quiet swingset. Touching it, the sky brightened to day once more, and he could remember when two little kids swung side-by-side, trying to see who could go the highest. He smiled, the sky turning dark again as he went forward and sat down on one of the swings, pushing himself back and forth. It was an uplifting feeling, sitting on a suspended seat and swinging through the air - it was as if he could kick all of his troubles away… And yet, these swings held yet another memory for him.

Closing his eyes, he remembered when he and Alfred had come here for a date, on a clear night such as this one. The superhero had convinced him to swing with him, even though Arthur tried to say he was too big for such things anymore. He didn't really have much of a choice when Alfred pulled him with that stupid strength of his.

They just sat there at first, talking… about what, he couldn't remember, but he remembered laughing a lot, just as the children would. Sometime during a comfortable silence, Alfred had went behind him and started pushing him, though he almost swung around the support bar a few times - the big idiot had found it quite funny…

When Alfred finally stopped the swing, Arthur had turned to yell at him for scaring him half to death, though he never got a chance to. Alfred had captured his lips in a kiss, and, just like always, Arthur felt powerless to resist.

His eyes snapped open, his breath coming just a bit faster and his mouth run dry. Damn it… he hated remembering things like that most. It was as if his subconscious was mocking him, reminding him what he had, what he lost, why he should feel guilty… How close he had come to happiness, and how he had lost it all.

He sighed again, and when he was on the ascent of a swing, he let go of the swing ropes and let himself fall onto his back, on top of the soft padding. _Poof_. It hurt, but it was a numb kind of hurt - like his life had become. Just an endless little throbbing pain in the back of his mind he tried to forget about…

He wished… oh, it was so stupid to do that, but he wished he could see him flying, high up in the sky without a care in the world. He wished that The Hero would come out of "hiding," he wished that everything was alright for him, he wished that the superhero was happy again… He wished he could take away his pain, and he _could_, but… it seemed like Alfred didn't want him to.

_Why would he want to remember me?_ Arthur asked, blinking the stars away from view for a brief moment. _I've done nothing but horrible things to him_. Why would _anyone _want to remember him now, after the horrible thing he had done? It was a mystery to him, but for some reason, the public and Alfred just couldn't stop thinking about him twenty four/seven. Though he supposed he had been asking for it, what with that interview and all… He never did get the chance to show everyone who he really was, or lock himself up. Maybe he'd go do that tomorrow, who knew.

For now… going home was possibly the worst punishment imaginable for him. Where he would see his prized nursery, rich with the bittersweet memories of "his" little girl…

Ah, yes… Maybe prison would have been a blessing.

Which was why he didn't deserve to go there.

* * *

**AN Annzy**: Hey guys! It's good to be back :) This chapter probably seems kind of filler-ish, but I also think it's important to look into the psyches of both of our favorite characters!

**AN Knux**: And its a great way to pad things out while we work on some… Stuff, that's going to happen later on. XD That's why the updates are coming at a snails pace guys! School for us, and some July plans got in our way. XD But the story is almost done and ready for editing! :D And the good news is that it's at least over twenty chapters~ ;)) So the wait will be worth it~

**Annzy**: *chuckles* Ah yes, it will _very_ much be worth it~ Even if there's no graphic sex scene (sorry to disappoint! This _is_ rated T after all! We have something better in store anyway in my opinion~)

**Knux**: *Laughs evilly in the distance and drinks tears*

**Annzy**: … Well, until next time, you lovely folks, you! :) I hope you enjoy the ride as much as us!

**Knux**: *LAAAAUGHHHSS*


	4. Bumps

It had been a month or so now since that scandalous interview, since the fighting all began, and since Françoise had been rightfully returned to him and safe in his home.

And while all the emotionalism from those traumatic events was starting to die down… Alfred still didn't feel fully pleased.

It was like… How was he suppose to phrase this… Hmm.. Well, every morning when he woke up, he felt like his heart didn't beat as fast as it use to. That there was this hollow sort of feeling in his chest… And he would rub his eyes, and stare up at the ceiling for a few minutes and just sigh, not thinking of anything in particular, and then go downstairs to prepare breakfast for his children before sending Armel of to school, and then taking Françoise to daycare.

So, like he said, he wasn't sure what this feeling was. Emptiness? Longing? He couldn't be sure. All that he knew right now was that they were out of groceries and he was going to go to the store and buy some more before going off into suburbs and doing some real-estate work.

Adjusting his glasses, Alfred breathed evenly as his eyes scanned down the aisles of the local supermarket. No, no no - that wasn't the aisle with the golden grahams… He needed to go down farther, didn't he -

_Crrk!_

Jumping a little, Alfred whipped his head over to stare right in front of himself and almost gasped in surprised when he realized that the grocery cart he had just connected with belonged to _Arthur _of all people! What rotten luck!

"Ah, terribly sorry," Arthur said, grasping at coupons that were fluttering in the air from the collision. "I should really look where I'm -" He stopped talking and let the paper fall to the floor as he looked at _who_ he had run into exactly. "... Going…"

Alfred felt himself stare evenly right back at Arthur in return. No feelings of rage, betrayal, and anger were in his heart. All there was now was a sort of stunned feeling. Why did it have to be Arthur's cart he had run into? Why _his?_

Taking a deep breath, he bent down and started to pick up the scattered coupons for Arthur. "Didn't expect to see you here…" he commented lowly, closing his eyes for a moment as he felt his heart beat quicken. Though he couldn't be sure as to _why._

"Ah!" Arthur seemed stunned as he also bent down and started picking his coupons up as well, almost in a panic. "You really don't have to do that - and, well, I have to feed myself -"

Alfred placed a hand over Arthur's, feeling the man jump beneath him while his own heartbeat quicken even more. Swallowing, he shakily pushed the hand aside and insisted, "I can get them just as easily as you can." He stood rim rod straight now and handed them over to Arthur with a neutral look. "So, here. Take them."

Arthur just stared at him for a second, his face portraying nothing but confusion. "... Thank you." He reached out and took them from him, careful not to touch Alfred's hand as he did so. "Um…" Arthur shoved the paper in his pocket before grabbing his cart, backing up from Alfred. "I'll just go now, then -"

"Wait," Alfred grabbed the end of his cart, feeling bamboozled now himself. W-why was he just grabbing this poor man's cart?! Hadn't he bothered him enough by ramming into him in the first place? "I need to say… Something."

Arthur stared up at him, blinking slowly, his mouth parted slightly in shock. "... What is it?"

Swallowing thickly, the next sentence practically cascaded out of his mouth as he asked, "Could we go out for coffee sometime?"

And then silence fell.

"... Are…" Arthur started, having to clear his throat before he asked, glancing away, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Not exactly," Alfred admitted with a slight sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. "But it's worth a shot…"

"..." It took a while for Arthur to answer, his eyes zoning in and out flickering through the air as seconds ticked away. Then, he stilled, and turned to look at him, a small, renaissance smile on his face. "... I'd love to."

And that seemed to be good enough for both of them as Alfred's gaze softened, and a small smile threatened to inch onto his face.

"Good," he simply replied, starting to back away so he could go and shop some more before taking on the checkout lanes. "Call me when some coffee strikes your fancy then." And with that, he simply left, leaving some mixed feelings for not only himself, but Arthur as well.

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AU, Annzy: I apologize for the short length of this chapter, guys! Life's been busy as per usual, especially since I'm a senior this year and college applications OTL

I promise the next chapter will be up sometime tomorrow to make up for this short one ^^ For now please leave a review telling us your thoughts of the story!


	5. Afternoon Coffee, No Cream

To say Arthur was nervous would be the understatement of the year.

He decided to let at least a day go by before calling Alfred for coffee - so that he wouldn't seem as desperate and to settle his nerves. He also spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out if that had actually happened or if it was just a hallucination brought on by his own guilt, fantasies, and exhaustion. He still had a bit of trouble sleeping at night, after all…

After a bit of time, however, he decided that whether it was a fantasy or not he could still call him and either make a total fool of himself or lay down the foundation to work on rebuilding their relationship. And, when he put it like that, the opportunity sounded too tempting to pass up.

Arthur wasn't sure what he had been hoping for when he called; did he want their old relationship, or just a friendship? Or maybe something less lasting - just an apology? Maybe he just wanted to see Alfred again? He wasn't sure… He didn't even want to attempt to decipher what Alfred wanted from this coffee meeting, but he didn't hope for much. For all he knew, the hero could be taking him out just to tell him to stay away from him for good this time. Anything was possible.

But, nonetheless, one awkward phone call and a few hours later, Arthur had arrived first at a Starbucks shop and was waiting on his pumpkin spice tea, since he didn't really like coffee all that much. He'd usually order black tea, but he was feeling a bit festive - autumn was his favorite season, after all.

_Maybe he won't even show up…_ Arthur contemplated, frowning slightly. _Or maybe I imagined _everything_ \- the grocery store, the phone call… _He discreetly took out a swiss army knife and pricked his finger with it, not satisfied until he saw a drop of blood. He knew this would look odd to anyone else, but this was one of the only ways he knew how to check if he was in the real world. Whenever he saw blood, it seemed to take him out of anything he could possible be in, since he was a bit squeamish. Besides, then he could also use his power to make him see his finger as fine. When he focused on one, singular, specific trait, it was easier to distinguish between what it felt like in his mind vs. reality.

_Well, I guess I'm really here_, Arthur said, taking a napkin and holding it to his finger. _So, we'll just wait a few more minutes_.

His tea arrived, so he took it and walked over to an open table by the window. After all, no need to pick anywhere private, right? This could be many things, but he hardly supposed a "date" was one of them.

Eventually, after having to wait for a few minutes, he saw a wiggling cowlick bounce by in the window as Alfred walked past where Arthur was sitting and came into the coffee shop.

_Tingle!_

The door softly opened with a jingle of the bell above, and there stood the sandy blonde. He was standing at the counter, a neutral look on his face as he picked out what drink he wanted and then took a number. Quietly, he walked over to where Arthur was sitting and took a seat. He seemed so unemotional as he sat down and intertwined his fingers together and rested his chin on top of his hands. Blinking slowly, he looked up at Arthur and gave a soft yawn, "So, you came?"

Arthur felt his mouth run dry and he took a quick sip of his tea. "I'm the one who called - it'd be rude if I didn't…" He stared down at his cup, focusing and trying to turn it green. When he accomplished that, he took a deep breath and imagined imaginary walls being broken down, allowing the cup to turn back to it's normal, brown color. He looked back up. Alfred was still there.

_So this part isn't a dream… Hopefully_.

"How have you been?" Arthur asked, taking another sip. He was going to have to get another one at this rate - it was already half gone.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Alfred's mouth. It looked almost like a smirk of sorts as he blinked his sandy lashes slowly - thoughtfully. "Heh. I've been fine."

"That's good," Arthur replied quickly, out of habit. He chewed at his lip a little. "Um… I hope I'm not interrupting your work…"

"I have the day off today, but it's going to be a personal day for me to…" he looked away and closed his eyes thoughtfully, sounding as though he were having trouble thinking of how to word what he wanted to say. "Ah…. Hmmm….."

"... Get things done?" Arthur guessed, tilting his head a little. Honestly, his first thought was so that he could spend time with his kids, but… he supposed he just didn't feel right mentioning Alfred's kids right now. And he supposed that Alfred didn't want to talk to Arthur about his children, for obvious reasons.

Alfred opened his eyes, smiling behind his hands and finally adding, "Oh! And to decorate Françoise's room with some more furniture, since, after all," he seemed a bit too_ cheery_ as his smile grew. "I haven't seen my little girl in over a year, and now she's old enough to tell me what kind of furniture she likes~"  
"... Ah, yes…" Arthur felt that familiar wave of guilt crashing into his stomach, colliding and swirling with his tea and making him feel quite ill, though he just returned Alfred's smile as he took another shaky sip. "That… makes sense." _Don't talk about it,_ Arthur told himself._ Let him talk about it - he's allowed to. If he asks questions, answer them and nothing more._

Alfred seemed to have a rather… Evil look of glee in his eye as he started babbling about all the new things he had learned from his growing little girl, and would have gone on longer about her, too, till he heard his number called.

"Oh," he noted dully, standing up as that gleam in his eyes disappeared instantly. Yawning again, Arthur noticed that there were rings around Alfred's eyes as he turned swiftly and went up to the counter to grab whatever it was he had ordered.

Arthur frowned a little as he watched him. He could understand why Alfred would be acting this way with him - he deserved it, after all - but he couldn't help but feel that something else was going on with him. He had assumed that Alfred might be feeling… upset over finding out the truth for awhile, but more angry than anything else. Seeing the bags under his eyes, and how easily he turned back to "bored and yawning" made him wonder if… Alfred had trouble sleeping at night, too. But why would he? He knew the truth now, he had his little girl…

Arthur felt something cold jolt through his as he remembered that Alfred proposed to him. It was something he had thought about before, of course, but now he thought about it under new light… Alfred most likely felt betrayed by him - after all, you don't go doing something like _proposing _lightly… He must have felt worse than Arthur thought - maybe he even felt that, that Arthur had been lying to him the entire time, and was just using him for his own amusement… he was a "villain" after all… Did he - no, he couldn't have cried over him, could he have?

The thought made him feel even worse than before - he'd have to excuse himself to go throw up soon or something if this kept on…

And, suddenly, Alfred sat back down with his coffee and practically chugged it, looking like he was coming back to life as he put the cup down and grinned, now at Arthur, catching him off guard. W-why was Alfred grinning?!

"Um," Arthur shifted in his seat a little, glancing away. "Why are you… smiling like that?" He had been about to say "looking at me like that," but decided that was assuming too much.

"I just thought of something nice!" Alfred chirped, pointing out the window and gazing out it with a rather intense, almost distant look in his eyes. "Turn around…."

Arthur glanced back at him with furrowed brows, feeling as if something was off. He turned around to look anyway, though, seeing as he didn't feel as if he could refuse. "What is it?"

Looking out the window, he saw a lilac bush in full bloom outside the window, looking stunning with the light peeking through its branches.

Arthur's eyes widened as he looked at it, a blush coming to his cheeks as a memory assaulted his mind.

It was one of their dates again, before all of this mess. They took a simple walk through the park, like they would often do… It was nice to just walk and talk and hold hands, most times. This time, however, they strayed from the park path and went off into a more wooded area, blazing their own trail. Arthur tripped over a tree root, much to his embarrassment, though he yelled at Alfred and claimed it was his fault for going too fast - "You're probably hovering above the ground!" he remembered accusing him.

Before Arthur could get up, though, Alfred put a hand on his shoulder and pointed next to them. "Look!" he said. So, Arthur did, and saw a pretty lilac bush in full bloom. He smiled a little, thinking they looked nice, and apparently Alfred did, too, as he plucked one of them off and placed it gently in Arthur's hair. He had blushed and moved to take it out, but Alfred stopped him.

He'd never forget the hero's next words: "Keep it in~ That way you'll have petals and a blush both in full _bloom~_"

… Obviously, for the rest of the day, Arthur had to endure the torture of feeling his face burning as they continued their date, since there was no way he could refuse his request.

Arthur sucked in a breath as he came back to present time, feeling that his face had heated up during his memory. He groaned to himself and took a sip of his tea, trying not to smile - however sadly it would have been. "Th-they're pretty, in bloom like that," he mumbled, immediately cursing himself out. Why did he say it like that!?

Yet Alfred seemed to agree as his gaze and smile softened as he slowly swirled his mixing stick in his coffee and gave a curt nod. "Yeah… They really are…."

They sat there in silence for a minute, and Arthur couldn't tell if it was comfortable or awkward. For him, it was definitely the latter.

"E-excuse me for a moment…" Arthur told him, quickly standing up to fastwalk to the bathroom. He had to splash some water on his face - he felt much too hot for a casual meeting… He still wasn't sure of Alfred's motives, either. Right now he assumed that he just wanted to torment him and then cast him aside for good. It was the only explanation as to why he'd babble about Françoise and then bring up the lilac bush: to remind him what he lost, as if he didn't already know and antagonize himself over it.

But, on the other hand…. Alfred might not have that many ill intentions at all… It was possible that, really, he could have only wanted to antagonize Arthur for a bit, but, otherwise, the lilac bush... that was a bit of reminiscing that had randomly happened, just then, wasn't it?

Arthur shook his head a little, turning the water on as cold as it would go before pooling it in his hands. The cold helped him focus, just a little bit more, and it was time to ask himself a question as he splashed it over his face…

Should he look into Alfred's mind?

All of this mystery was driving him absolutely bonkers - if he could just figure out exactly what Alfred wanted out of this meeting, they could get there easier and Arthur wouldn't be caught of guard… But was it really right to look in his mind? He had done it once before, but that had only been for revenge, otherwise he gave Alfred his privacy. After all, he wouldn't want someone poking around in _his _mind!

He sighed and turned the water off, letting cold droplets drip off of his face and bangs into the sink, his eyes closed. _What should I do…_

He stayed there, thinking for a few moments. His hand reached out to grab a paper towel to wipe his face with as he concluded that he shouldn't look into Alfred's mind. He had already taken so much from him, he could at least leave him his thoughts…

Arthur discarded the paper before walking through the door, back to the table again with a small, polite smile. "Sorry about that."

Alfred gave him a concerned look and reached a hand out, yet it stopped in midair as he blinked slowly…. And then retracted his hand sheepishly and sucked in a breath. Looking away, he let it out and just shrugged. "I-it's fine…." Chewing his lip, he stood up suddenly and picked up his cup. "I'll.. See you later…" and with that, he started to turn away and exit the table, his shoulders looking tense - hell, his whole body language looked tense. "Just call me, bu-but I got to get going…."

"Um, okay." Arthur felt confused, but he stood up with him anyways, still holding up his smile. "Should we meet here again?"

Alfred stopped and turned back to look at him a little, his expression a bit mysterious as he nodded. "Yeah. Tomorrow at three." And, with that, the power walked out the door and left.

Leaving Arthur wishing that he had taken the chance and just peered into his mind. Why would he want to meet him again!? And what was _this_ meeting for, exactly?! He felt like they hadn't accomplished anything!

Arthur sat down again, feeling frustrated as he downed the rest of his tea. He'd just walk around town for a bit… he needed to get back into his writing game, after all. Maybe he could do a nice little nature piece.

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AU, Annzy: Hope you like how the story is progressing so far everyone! :) Please leave a review telling us what you think ^^


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